Boehner: Immigration reform could happen next year

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Tuesday said Congress could tackle immigration reform next year if conditions are right.

Boehner, however, warned it is contingent on President Obama following the law as he decides on executive actions to take on the issue.

“So I would hope that the president would continue to follow the law, and begin to take steps that would better secure our border,” Boehner said on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show. “It would create an environment where you could do immigration reform in a responsible way next year.”
In July, Boehner said the House would not take up immigration reform this year, pointing to the flood of child immigrants crossing the border over the summer and Obama “pounding his chest about using his phone and pen.”

“But I did outline that, you know, there’s a possibility that Congress could take this issue up next year,” he said. “But if that were going to happen, there are things that he should do, and things he should not do as we lead up to this.”

Republicans have cited their lack of confidence in Obama to follow the law as a main hindrance to immigration reform.

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President Trump at Homeland Security for Swearing-In and Executive Orders. President Trump signed two executive orders on immigration including one that calls for the immediate construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.